R01 TR: Alta Peak loop Sept 2018

[overheadx2]

I went to lodgepole camping as a kid for many years and have always had it in my head to hike Alta Peak. I had scheduled it as a relatively easy 3 day loop with the wife out of Wolverton - Alta Meadow - Alta peak - Pear Lake, but with the wife out due to foot pain I talked a friend into a 2 day quicky. While this trip isn’t very difficult or technical, I decided to post a TR since the cross country portion was not what I had expected and I figured some one else with my level of backpacking skill might appreciate the intel. The hike to Alta was pretty straight forward and relatively easy due to the lower elevation for most of it. By the way, there was no water at Mehrten Meadow or Alta Meadow with a nice steam just beyond the Alta Meadow turn off. This is heading up the hill looking toward Alta Meadow and Moose lake. From here the area from Alta Meadow to Moose Lake looks very easy and straight forward. I plan on returning and making a bigger loop going that direction.

Headed up the peak

As we got to the peak it became obvious that we were not going to traverse to winter Alta and the table lands with out dropping significant elevation or doing a long slog of boulder hopping or both.
We decide to traverse a short bit and make our way down to pear lake. There was a faint use trail we followed over to a chute on the east side of a small adjacent peak that was slightly sketchy, but easy enough so long as you went one at a time.
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From there, the plan was to find a tarn on the way to pear lake and set up camp for a beautiful sunset overlooking Pear lake. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no water to be found

We followed an old stream slab along the east side of the lake making sure to stay high and avoid the steep walls along the south side of the lake. The going was pretty straight forward and in several ours we were camped at Pear lake with every one else.

The next day we broke camp early and made it back to the car by 11 and back to the OC by 5. Turned out to be a fun weekend trip with a little excitement.

[MountainMinstrel]

This was my first off trail experience and the scree below that chute is what scared the snot out of me.

Glad you had a good time.

[gregodorizzi]

back to the OC

Don't call it the OC.

[iHartMK]

Around here, the OC is Orange Cove..